Breakfast links: Will Mayor Bowser’s fare evasion decriminalization veto be overruled?
Image by MW Transit Photos used with permission.
Will the DC Council overturn the mayor’s veto of decriminalizing fare evasion?
The DC Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on overturning Mayor Muriel Bowser's veto of the Fare Evasion Decriminalization Act. The law would get rid of the possibility of jail time or an arrest record, making Metro fare evasion a civil fine punishable by a $50 citation. (Natalie Delgadillo / DCist)
Highway safety laws differ across the Washington region
An annual report card of 16 recommended highway safety laws by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety shows key differences among DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. DC earned the highest score locally with 13 of 16 recommended laws, while Maryland and West Virginia have only 10 each, and Virginia only six. (Neal Augenstein / WTOP)
The VA Senate approves grants for Amazon jobs and rejects $15 minimium wage
The Virginia Senate approved a program to give Amazon a $22,000 tax rebate for each of the 25,000 six-figure jobs it plans to create in the commonwealth. In the same session, it also narrowly rejected increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour. (Robert McCartney and Laura Vozzella / Post)
Amtrak is replacing its fleet of DC-to-Boston passenger railcars
Amtrak began the process of replacing 470 passenger railcars for use along the popular Northeast corridor route between DC and Boston, many of which are 40 to 50 years old. New Acela trains and passenger cars are already in production and should be operational in 2022. (Jeff Clabaugh / WTOP)
DC campaign finance reform law passes without the mayor
The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2017 bars anyones holding or seeking a large contract with the DC government from donating to political campaigns. Although the DC Council passed the bill unanimously this fall, it became a law after Mayor Muriel Bowser choose neither to veto nor sign the bill, providing no explanation. (Rachel Sadon / DCist)
550,000 Marylanders eligible to receive food assistance are not participating
In our region, about 109,000 people in Montgomery County and more than 104,000 people in Prince George’s are eligible for the Food Supplement Program but are not participating. Most fail to participate because of stigma or misconceptions about eligibility and, for immigrants who are eligible, because of fear. (Sasha-Ann Simons / WAMU)
The region’s modern food truck scene reaches a 10-year milestone
Ten years after rolling onto the scene, one food truck operator looks back food trucks serving as incubators for restaurant concepts, increasing the popularity of parks such as Franklin Square with lunchgoers, and creating the DMV Food Truck Association. (Daniella Byck / Washingtonian)
This black-owned co-op in Detroit hopes to bring food and jobs
Building on a tradition of African-American business cooperatives, a former teacher and principal in Detroit is leading the launch of a 34,000-square-foot food co-op, event space, and commercial kitchen in Detroit's North End neighborhood. (Brian Allnutt / CityLab)
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